Industry Partnership Growth and Two-Sided Market Strategy

Project Overview

What: Industry partnership growth and ecosystem strategy
Where: Ara Institute of Canterbury, education and workforce ecosystem connecting learners and employers
Primary Focus: Growth strategy, partnerships, business development, ecosystem design

Project Context

There was a strategic opportunity to better align learner pipelines with industry workforce demand, but partnerships were ad hoc and lacked a clear growth model or value exchange.

Objective

To design and activate a scalable partnership strategy that strengthened employer engagement while improving learner outcomes and placement pathways.

My Role

I acted as growth and partnership strategy lead, working across marketing, industry engagement, and leadership teams.

Approach

• Designed a two-sided market model aligning learner supply with employer demand

• Defined partnership value propositions and prioritisation criteria

• Supported outreach, sponsorship, and relationship development

• Embedded partnerships into lifecycle and growth strategy

Key Deliverables

• Partnership growth framework and prioritisation model

• Employer engagement pathways aligned to learner lifecycle

• Internal playbooks to support consistent activation

Proof Points

• 10 new industry partnerships established within three months

• Improved learner-to-industry pathways

• Partnership strategy aligned to growth and lifecycle objectives